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You are here: Home / Language / What Does the Expression “Betting your Shirt” Mean and Where Did the Phrase Come From?

What Does the Expression “Betting your Shirt” Mean and Where Did the Phrase Come From?

June 17, 2020 by Karen Hill

In 1823, the bitterness that led to the Civil War surfaced during a match race between the Northern horse American Eclipse and a Southern colt named Sir Henry.

The grudge match inspired fortunes to be wagered, including that of congressman John Randolph.

Randolph put up $10,000 and his entire wardrobe, which gave a newspaper the observation that he was “betting his shirt” on the race.

Incidentally, the race was won by American Eclipse, and Randolph kept his wardrobe.

That’s how “betting your shirt” evolved to mean to gambling everything you own.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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